The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-02-18
CHAPTER XVI.
THE AMBUSCADE.

CHAPTER XVI.
THE AMBUscADE.
The day spent with Aunt Debby had been
Of the greatest benefit to Harry Glen Since
his parting with Rachel Bond there had been
going ON in his spirit fermentation like that
with which good wine discharges itself Of its
grossness and impurities, and becomes clear
and fine. In this process had vanished the
absorbing selflshness of much INDUCED only
son, and the superciious cgotism which came
as an almost necessary result of his college
curriculum. This spiritual ripcning received
its perfecting color and bloom from the
serene exaltation of Aunt Debby's soul. So
filed was she with lofty devotion to the
cause, SO complete her faith in its holiness,
and SO unquestioning her belief that it was
every ones simple duty to brave all danger
for it, and die II need without q murmur,
that contact with her would have inspired
with pure patriotic ardor nature much less
ready for such leavening than Harry's
AS DR.. Denslow had surmised, his faults
were mainly superficial, and underneath them
was firm gristle of manhood which would
speedily harden into bone. With the expert
ence he had been having, days would mature
this as rapidly as ordinary years. He was
himself hardly aware OF the transformation,
but only felt, as his physical exhaustion dis
appeared, new eagerness to participate
in the great work of the war. He was
gratified to know little later that this was
no transient feeling. In the course of the
evening Jim Fortner came in, with Kent Ed
wards and Abe Bolton After they had all
satisfied their hunger Fortner informed Harry
and Aunt Debby that the enemy had fallen
back to London, from which point he was send
ing out wagons into the surrounding country
to gather up food, forage, arms, clothing,
ammunition, ETC., with the double object of
depriving the Union men of them and adding
the same to the Confederate resources.
long train had also been sent out to the Goose
creek salt works-twenty-fve miles northeast
of London-to bring away lot Of salt stored
there, Of which the Confederates had even
more need than Of food.
Fortner proposed to 60 out in the morning
and endeavor to ca ture some of these wagons.
It seemed altogether probable that few
might be caught in such POSITION that their
guards could be killed or driven off.
All readily agreed to this plan, Aunt Debby
leading off by volunteering to ride ahead on
her mare, as a scout.
Harry suddenly remembered that he was
WCopoAACo'' " ue~o oiAtAiA NO AVA ~ b "AA' ~
asked, anxiously.
II declar, done forgot all bout gittin' ye
q gum" said Fortner with real concern my
mind was disturbed by other things" he
added with suspicion of grin at Edwards
their chairs fast asleep Applejack, fatigue
and a hearty supper together made narcotic
too potent to resist.
foxu lyotc no
floor, added sack of bran for pillow, and
with some difficulty induced the two sleepers
to lie down and take their slumbers in O more
natural position.
"I'u find we gum" said Aunt Debby, as
this operation was finished, and walking to a
farther corner Of the room, she came back
bearing in herhand rifle very similar to the
one Fortner Carried
"Thar," she said, setting the delicately
curved brazen heel down upon the hearth,
and holding the muzzle at arms length while
she gazed at the gun with the admiration one
cannot help feeling for magnificent weapon,
lis ez true rife ez ever a man put to his
shoulder Eff didn't b'lieve We ter be cz true
ez steel We shouldn't tech hit fur hit Belonged
ter the truest man in this livin' world"
"Hit wuz her husbands" explained Fort
IlCl 10 ASl AAiSG LA 10 IL AoNh
bitter memories
"I'm givin' hit ter We ter use ez he'd a-used
hit eff he war a-livin'," she said, steadying
her tones with a perceptible effort. "I'm
glad tibet my hands can put inter yours the
means ter avenge him."
Harry tried in vain to make an appro-
pirate response.
"Ill clean hit up for ye," she said to Harry,
as she saw Fortner beginning to Turkish up
his own rifle for the next days duties.
That she was no stranger to the work was
shown by the skill with which she addressed
herself to it. Nothing that a Kentucky
mountaineer does has more of the aspect of
labor of love, than his caring for fine rife,
and any of them would have been put to
shame by the dizziness of Aunt Debby's sup
pie hands. Removing the leathern hood
which protected the lock- she carefully rubbed
off the hammer and the nipple with wisp of
soft fine tow, and picked out the tube with
needle. Wrapping another bit of tow around
the end Of wiping stick, she moistened it
slightly in her mouth, and carefully swabbed
out of the inside of the barrel every suspicion
of dust and dirt. Each of the winding rifles
was made clean and free along its whole
course Then the tow swab was lightly
COucneu WIN SWEEP, unSalUeu goose IaC, ChaC
it might spread Il rust preventing film over
the interior surface. She FURNISHED the sill
yer and brass ornaments, and rubbed the
polished stock until it shone. When not
suspicion of soil or dirt remained anywhere,
the delicate double triggers were examined
and set so that they would yield at the stroke
a of hair; q tuft Of lightly oiled tow was placed
over the nipple and another closed the muz-
zle.
"Thar," said Aunt Debby, setting the gun
back against the logs, "is rife that'n alters
do hits duty, eff the man a-holt Of hit does
his Let's see how the ammunition is"
The powder horn was found to be well
filed with powder and the box with caps,
but there were only a few bullets
"Tll run ye some" she said, taking from a
shelf small iron ladle, few bars of lead,
and pair of bullet molds. EUR more'n a
hundred years the women NV our family hev
run all the bullets our men folks shot They
b'lieved hit made em lucky. Grandfather
Fortner killed un Injun chief acrost the Mau-
NEE river at the battle of Fallen Timbers
with a bullet that granmother he'd run fur
him an markt with a little cross. Afore the
battle begun granfather tuck the bullet
outen his pouch an put hit inter his mouth,